World Cup Preview: Brazil - Netherlands

Versus History

So far, 11 international meetings have been recorded between the South American & European teams. Both sides have won 3 games each & the remaining games were draws. Also, each team have scored 15 goals in last 11 head to head matches. Their next meeting will be played at Estadio Nacional de Brasilia for third place in 2014 FIFA World Cup.

In World Cups, the Dutchmen have won twice, most recently in the 2010 quarter finals (2-1). Brazil managed to win once (1994), plus a penalty shoot-out 1998 (4-2).

Brazil have conceded the most goals in the current World Cup campaign (11). The last time they conceded 11 was in 1938 and they’ve never conceded more than 11.

10 of the Netherlands’ 12 goals in this tournament have come after half-time; the last four have come after the 75th minute.

Road to the 3rd/4th place play-off

Brazil found themselves in a group with Croatia, Mexico and Cameroon. They managed to pick up 7 points from their three games, with scorelines of 3-1, 0-0 and 4-1 respectively. They finished top of the group, ahead of Mexico on goal difference. In the Round of 16, they faced stern opposition in the form of Chile. After extra time, the score was 1-1, but Brazil managed to win the shootout, 3-2.

Next up for A Selecao were Colombia. An aggressive Brazil side won out 2-1, but lost Thiago Silva (suspension) and Neymar (injury). This didn't help, as they would face a strong Germany side in the semi-finals. In one of the great World Cup shocks, Brazil were humbled by a German masterclass, 7-1 the full time scoreline. The country was left in a state of shock, and hope to salvage some pride by finishing 3rd place ahead of a strong Dutch outfit.

As for Netherlands, they found themselves in group B, accompanied by Spain, Australia and Chile. They picked up 9 points from 9, with 5-1, 3-2 and 2-0 victories respectively. They finished top of their group. In the Round of 16, they faced Mexico, and it took two late late goals from Wesley Sneijder and then Klass Jan Huntelaar to overcome the Mexicans, who had led through a Giovani dos Santos strike.

Next for the Oranje were underdogs and surprise package Costa Rica. Heroic goalkeeping from Los Ticos' keeper Keylor Navas brought the tie to penalties after a 0-0 draw, but Netherlands progressed from the shootout, winning 4-3 on penalties. In the semi-final, they faced Argentina. The game finished 0-0, but La Albiceleste managed to progress 4-2 on penalties, ending the heroic run of the unfancied Dutch. They hope to secure 3rd place and come back stronger next time out in Russia 2018.

Current top scorers

Brazil - Neymar (4)

Netherlands - Robben / van Persie (3)

Pre-match thoughts

Netherlands: Coach Louis van Gaal lashed out at the World Cup's third place play-off match on Wednesday after his side's semifinal defeat to Argentina.

"I think this match should never be played," van Gaal told reporters. "I've been saying this for 10 years. But we'll just have to play this match."

Van Gaal said the match condemns the losers to finish a tournament after another defeat, and that one side always has an extra day's rest.

"It's unfair also because we have one less day to recover, so that's not fair play," he said. "But the worst thing is that chances are you lose twice in a row.

"And after a tournament in which you've played so marvellously well, you'd go home as a loser just because you've lost the last two matches.

"This has got nothing whatsoever to do with sport. But I said this 15 years ago. You shouldn't have players play a match for 3rd/4th place, because there's only one prize that counts and that's becoming champion," said van Gaal who moves on from the World Cup to become Manchester United's manager.

Brazil: Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has urged his players and his country to move on from their devastating World Cup semi-final defeat to Germany.

"I know my career will be marked by this defeat but we have an obligation to move on, thinking about the next goal, which in this case is the match for third place in Brasilia," he told a press conference.

"I know it's a much smaller dream than we all wanted but we have to honour the shirt of the national team. "The tournament was not all bad. We had a bad defeat."

On his own future Scolari added: "We (coaching staff) have a deal with the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation) until the game on Saturday and after that, probably, we will have a conversation to sort some things out.

"After the World Cup we will submit a report to the board of the CBF where you will see the good and the bad that we did and then it depends on the direction.

"There is nothing going through my head right now.

"I will continue with my life, the players will also continue to be winners and we must continue - you cannot end the life of the players for it.

"History will have to record that Brazil, for the first time since 2002, reached the semi-finals."

Scolari's assistant Carlos Alberto Parreira said this was now a time to re-examine Brazilian football after admitting Germany were far more advanced in all aspects of the game.

"They have numerous training centres for athletes, for coaches too, and the result was seen here," said the former national team boss.

"German football is the perfect base and we now have a chance to rethink, revise and invest in better training of athletes.

"We need to improve and focus on training athletes from the clubs and give full attention to it, provide good structure and train good professionals."